Question Need Help Picking a Denon AVR

mmarsh1972

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Hi All

I'm a noob in A/V, I currently have 2x Klipsch RF-62 MKII and a RC-62 connected to a DENON AVR-2113 from 2012
I just bought a brand new Sony 55" 55XF9005 and need to upgrade the AVR to support 4K. So it will be a 2:1 system when I add a sub maybe a 5:1 later. I will not need any additional channels.

The problem is what to get. Im on a budget. I need Best bang for buck essentially. I liked my 2113 so I like to stay with Denon, also they happen to fit in my media center where other brands do not.

My uses are TV, Video Streaming (Netflix, Youtube, Amazon Prime, Disney+), PS4 gaming and Blu-ray. I don't listen to much music, not a audiophile. I'll make do with whatever its not a concern.

The options I have looked at are:

AVR-x1600h (489 EUROS),
AVR-x2600h (599 EUROS).
AVR-x1500h (350 Euros).
AVR-x3500h (649 EUROS)

The later 2 are discontinued and are hard to find in France, espicially the 3500.
 
Welcome to the Forum.

All those receivers below the X3500 is likely to be something of a downgrade in audio quality from the 2113. I would certainly go no lower than the X2600. There are workarounds though that would enable you to keep the 2113 for audio certainly, it will depend on what you want to connect. You will have the option of connecting all your inputs to the TV and connect the TV by optical to the receiver for audio, especially as you are currently only running 2.1. You will lose no audio quality by doing so.
 
You think its worth just going with the x3500 and save myself the headache? I found one on Amazon for 686 EUROS. Or is the 2600 viable?

The problem is 4K video, even if I could get a work around the Audio to work, it wouldnt solve the video still running at 1080P
 
You would just connect all your video sources to the TV via HDMI. This will give you 4K by by-passing the receiver. Then just connect the receiver by optical from the TV which will give you sound and as your just listening in 2.1 that will be more than fine. Only upgrade the receiver when you are ready to expand to 5.1.

Obviously buying the X3500 will future proof you anyway with the exception of HDR10+. The 2600 will do the job but the 3500 is a better receiver. It has more headroom and a better room correction system with Audyssey XT32, which again is superior to that found on the 2113.
 
I understand what you are saying and it does make sense, but there are a few issues. First my TV doesn't have enough HDMI inputs, I am currently have 4 devices with an option on a 5th.

Secondly I like the simplicity of the reciever being the central connection point for my devices and the ease for switching devices by a button press. Even my 5 year old knows how to switch between the home theatre and the BLU-RAY.

You think its worth splurging on the 3600 is the 3500 is to old and the 2600 is not powerful enough?
 
The main difference between the 3500 and 3600 is the number of channels has increased to nine on the 3600. It is also e-ARC capable, which is only of use if your TV is also e-ARC capable. If you can get the 3500 for a good price then that would be me first choice. With the number of inputs then you do need to use the receiver as a HDMI hub. A new receiver is beginning to make more sense now.
 
....and my TV IS e-ARC capable although I still dont understand what exactly it does.

9 ports is overkill so the question is whether the e-arc worth the extra money. If so then its a choice between the x2600h vs x3600h
 
eARC allows you to passthrough HD audio from the TV to the AVR. Useful if you want to use the TV's internal tuner or apps and transmit HD audio back to the AVR. However, I don't think any TV based apps carry HD audio, but they might in the future.

Also it could be handy if you want to have different picture settings on the TV for different sources. Eg, if you have a games console, you may want to configure the TV differently for that, or maybe different settings for SD / HD / 4K / HDR content. With eARC it gives you the option of connecting the source directly to the TV on a dedicated input that has the best picture settings for that source, and then passthrough HD audio to the AVR.

That's the theory anyway!
 
The 2600 also has e-ARC. It's far more stable and less buggy than the old standard ARC and it is built to a design that is copied by all manufacturers so in theory that will rid different units of the handshake problems that so blighted the old ARC system.

Connecting the 2600 and your TV will give you the ability to use Dolby Digital Plus and it's associated Atmos metadata from the TV's apps should you wish to expand your speaker set up into a maximum of 5.1.2.
 
You've been a big help. I have narrowed it to 3

1. x2600h -Not as powerful an amp, lacks AudesseyXT but has E-Arc. Cheapest option at 599 EUROS
2. x3500h -Lacks E-Arc. Stock dwindling, but I Found a supplier in Germany 662 EUROS w/shipping
3. x3600h -No faults other than the price. Priced at 899 EUROS.

Now the question is what would you do? 1+2 are priced similarly but they each lack a key feature that the other has. Which features are worth keeping or is it really worth the big price increase and everything is covered.
 
I'm using a Denon X6200 a receiver that is considerably older than the 3500. I have my TV connected by optical which gives me a native 5.1 from those broadcasts that use that format. I have a SkyQ box and 4K player running through the receiver via HDMI and both those devices work perfectly for 5.1.2. The X3500 has a firmware update to allow e-ARC, downloadable from the Denon web pages.

I would prefer the stable HDMI connection that e-ARC would give me so that I could access Dolby Digital Plus, but neither receiver or TV have it so that is pretty immaterial. I don't plan to upgrade the X6200 any time soon. It's the audio quality that is important and it is the X3500 that would provide the better quality over the X2600.

X3500 would be my choice.
 
Ah didn't know about the firmware update, thats a clincher.

I better get hopping then, because the X3500 is getting harder and harder to find.

Many Thanks Gibbsy, your advice is most appricated!

Edit:

Actually one last thing. I found the X3500 from a seller on Amazon.de (i'm in France, it cannot be found here anymore), I heard some people on the internet saying it could be found in the UK for 500 Quid but they didn't say where. If you were in the market, where would you go just to see if its cheaper than the 662 EUROS. Online Dealers preferred by I got to London several times a year so it can be brick and morter too.

thanks again!
 
Last edited:
Sold out in the UK I'm afraid.
 

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